Chapter 274: New Skill Lightning First Step, Game 2 tips off
The noise outside was still roaring about his records, but Chen Yan had already moved on.
Back home, he did not linger on the praise or the headlines. Instead, he opened the system. It was time to invest.
He had 65 Honor Points saved up, and tonight's haul added another 46. That put him at 111 points total.
No hesitation.
First, he spent 20 Honor Points on his Three point attribute. It climbed from 94 to 95.
He stared at the number for a moment, then pushed further. Another 50 Honor Points went into the same category.
Once an attribute hit 95, improvement entered the final tier. From this point on, every single upgrade would cost 50 Honor Points.
Even so, Chen Yan did it without blinking.
Tonight he had felt what those super long threes could do, not just to the scoreboard, but to a defense's soul. If more points meant more range and more certainty from deep, then that was the best investment he could make.
The Three point attribute ticked up to 96.
Chen Yan closed the interface, satisfied.
He spent a little time playing with the family's husky and bulldog, then went to bed. The game had drained him, and with Game 2 coming only a day after Game 1, recovery mattered as much as any workout.
…
Over in the East, another semifinal had been played the same night.
Cleveland beat Orlando 97 to 83.
LeBron James was brilliant, dropping 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, a near triple double. If Chen Yan had not detonated in Phoenix, the league's news cycle would have belonged to the so called Little Emperor.
Ilgauskas added 19, and Shaquille O Neal logged 16 points and 10 boards. Cleveland leaned hard on the O Neal Ilgauskas twin towers, making life miserable for Howard, who finished with only 13 points and 8 rebounds.
Orlando had the deeper, cleaner roster on paper. Prime Howard in the middle, shooters everywhere around him. But Cleveland had LeBron, and a still intimidating Shaq beside him. Even with Shaq aging, his gravity was real. That series felt like a coin flip, whichever team brought better form would take it.
…
The next morning, Chen Yan showed up at the practice facility right on time.
Wins, records, hype, all of it was yesterday. Today was a blank page, and his job was to fill it with work.
With Game 2 tomorrow, D Antoni kept practice light. They walked through sets, sharpened spacing, and got up a controlled volume of shots. No grinding, no heavy minutes. Just rhythm and readiness.
After the team session, Chen Yan stayed.
He put up another 100 threes to test the feel of his upgraded rating.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
Uncontested, he hit 91 out of 100, including plenty from way beyond the line. The ball felt like it wanted to fall in before it even left his hands.
Then he moved into another 100 reps of dribble pullups and layups, the bread and butter that anchored his scoring outside of the arc.
"Chen, tighten your core a bit more," a voice called from the sideline. "And point your toes in the direction you want to explode. You'll get even faster."
Chen Yan turned and saw Grant Hill, towel in hand, sweat still fresh. Hill had just finished his own extra work.
Chen Yan respected him deeply. Thirty six years old, a career shaped by injuries, and still training like a man in his prime. Some days Hill stayed later than the younger guys, never once using age or pain as an excuse.
"Like this?" Chen Yan asked.
He replayed the movement, following Hill's cues.
Hill nodded. "Yeah. Starting is about explosiveness and core tension. Also do not bend too low when you break through, it slows your release. Keep your chest stable, then punch off your toes."
He demonstrated step by step.
A few minutes into the lesson, a familiar chime rang inside Chen Yan's mind.
"Ding. After Grant Hill's personal instruction, you have mastered the skill Lightning First Step Level 1, Active."
"Lightning First Step Level 1, Active. Increases your speed when starting with the ball or receiving the ball by 4 percent. Upgrading to Level 2 increases your start speed by 6 percent."
Chen Yan's eyes widened.
A new skill.
He had not expected to gain anything from this session besides better mechanics, but Hill was a Hall of Fame level player, and learning from him carried real weight.
A 4 percent boost might sound small on paper, but for someone whose first step was already elite, it was terrifying. At this level, tiny edges became open lanes.
Barea and Azubuike had listened for a while too, but eventually drifted off. For guards without a speed advantage, these details could only take them so far. One step drives needed a jet engine behind them, otherwise the technique was just pretty theory.
Chen Yan stayed locked in, repeating the start again and again, already imagining how it would look against San Antonio tomorrow.
…
May 5, 6:40 PM, local time.
More than half an hour before tipoff, the plaza outside America West Arena was packed. Fans flooded the area even without tickets, lining up around the giant outdoor screens so they could be part of Game 2 in any way possible.
Pregame coach interviews ran first.
D Antoni looked relaxed. As long as the Suns played their game and kept their pace from Game 1, he believed the result would follow.
Popovich, as always, refused to chase predictions. He said only that he wanted discipline, execution, and full commitment to the plan.
Media setups were different for each side. Phoenix spoke in a dedicated room, seated reporters, coach on stage, clean lights, television polish. San Antonio had to do theirs outside the visiting locker room, sponsors behind them, a straightforward road team backdrop. Nothing fancy.
Then came player interviews. The Spurs sent Robert Horry. The Suns sent Barea.
Neither team wanted their stars answering questions this close to tipoff. In a series this heavy, every detail mattered, even the quiet before battle.
…
Inside the locker room, D Antoni gathered the team for his final talk.
"Play our basketball. Trust our pace. Protect home court. Give these fans another win."
The players stacked hands in the center.
"Go Phoenix go!"
"Go Phoenix go!"
"Go Phoenix go!"
The chant echoed off the walls, loud and clean. Chen Yan looked around and saw it in every face, confidence, hunger, and the sharp edge of a team that wanted more.
The lights dimmed. The DJ began the introductions. One by one, the Suns jogged out of the tunnel to a rising wave of noise.
And in that roar, Game 2 began.
<><><><><>
[P@treon Christmas Discount: 20% OFF]
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]